The invention pertains to a sewing machine input device. More particularly, the invention pertains to an industrial sewing machine input device which uses a digitizer to input stitching patterns.
Electronically controlled industrial sewing machines have previously been provided which read and execute stitch patterns previously stored as coordinate values on memory devices such as magnetic tapes, magnetic cards, or floppy discs. Based on the stored stitch pattern, a work holder is moved by a pulse motor which energizes in response to the coordinate values. Thus, sewing in accordance with a programmed stitch pattern is performed.
To perform the stitch pattern inputting function for this kind of sewing machine, stitch patterns may be drawn via an indicating pen on a digitizer (graph drawing apparatus). Resultant coordinate values are generated by the digitizer and recorded on a storage media.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional digitizer board 1 including two stitch patterns 2 and 3. To input such a pattern, a first stitch pattern 2 is drawn on digitizer 1, .alpha.1 is input as skipping distance factor, and then stitch pattern 3 is drawn.
During a sewing operation according to this stitch pattern, the first stitch pattern 2 is sewed first. Next, the work holder is skipped in response to skipping distance factor .alpha.1 and then the second stitch pattern 3 is sewed.
Conventionally, the input for the skipping factor is performed in 1/1 scale, thereby, where the skipping factor .alpha.2 exceeds beyond the digitizer area as in FIG. 2, it was impossible to complete the stitch patterns.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an input device for a sewing machine which is effective for drafting and recording stitching patterns which extend beyond a digitizer work board.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a sewing machine input device which is effective to trace oversized stitch patterns using a conventional size digitizer.